Apparatus for producing a vegetable product

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for producing a product of predetermined shape from a vegetable, in which a cylindrical core is cut from the vegetable by forcing the vegetable against an annular cutting edge of a tube and cutting the product from the core by advancing a pair of opposed rotatable cutting elements into apertures in the side of the tube.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for mechanicallycutting food produce into shaped configurations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It bas long been known to cut, by hand, vegetables and the like intovarious shaped configurations for decorative purposes. It has also beenlong known to use a mechanical apparatus to cut vegetables into varioussimple, generally longitudinal shapes. For example, a CUISINART (atrade-mark) can be used to cut food produce into strips or juliennes andthe like.

However, such known methods and apparatus cannot be applied on anindustrial level where a high volume of produce is to be cut intocomplex, generally non-longitudinal shapes.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide animproved method and an apparatus for automatically cutting produce intoshaped configurations.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

In accordance the present invention, there is provided, a method and anapparatus for producing a product of predetermined shape from avegetable, in which a cylindrical core is cut from the vegetable byforcing the vegetable against an annular cutting edge of a tube andcutting the product from the core by advancing a pair of opposedrotatable cutting elements into apertures in the side of the tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Example embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, in partial cross-section, of a firstembodiment of a produce cutting apparatus of the invention showingparisienne shaped products being cut from a potato;

FIG. 2 is a side view, in partial cross-section, of the apparatus shownin FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3, is a perspective view, in partial cross-section, of a rotatablecutting blade of the apparatus of FIG. 1 for cutting a parisiennepotato;

FIG. 4 is a side view, in partial cross-section, showing a pair of therotatable cutting blades in FIG. 3 in operation in the apparatus of FIG.1;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the discharge of aparisienne;

FIG. 6 is a side view, in partial cross-section of a pair of rotatablecutting blades of the apparatus of FIG. 1, adapted to cutcylindrical-shaped vegetable products together with a perspective viewof the product;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing, in partial cross-section, apair of rotatable cutting blades adapted to cut oblate-shaped vegetableproducts, together with a perspective view of the product;

FIG. 8 is another view similar to FIG. 6 showing, in partial section, apair of rotatable cutting blades adapted to cut torus-shaped vegetableproducts, together with a perspective view of the product;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a rotating feeder drum for feedingproduce to the cutting station of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view, in partial cross-section, of a secondembodiment of the cutting apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a side view of the cutting apparatus shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of tbe cutting apparatus of FIG. 10, takenin the direction of arrow 12;

FIG. 13 is a side view of the cutting apparatus shown in FIG. 10,positioned to cut a potato;

FIG. 14 is a side view similar to FIG. 13, in partial section, of theapparatus cut into the potato;

FIG. 15 is a view again similar to FIG. 13, showing cut portions of thepotato in cross-section;

FIG. 16 is a elevational view, partly in cross-section, of a thirdembodiment of the cutting apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 17 is a view taken in the direction of line 17--17 of FIG. 16; and

FIGS. 18 to 21 inclusive are views similar to FIG. 16 showing successivestages in the operation of producing a parisienne shaped product from apotato.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 9 of the drawings generallyconsists of a cutting apparatus 10 comprising a feeding station 12 fedfrom a hopper assembly 14, and a cutting station 16 leading to acollecting station 18. Feeding station 12 and cutting station 16 aremounted between a spaced pair of supports 20.

Feeding station 12 comprises a downwardly inclined feeding ramp 22leading from an inlet aperture 23 to a central aperture 24 in a platform26 having guide baffles 28 adjacent the central aperture. A springbasket 30 is positioned below central aperture 24 and a reciprocalplunger 32, slidable in a guide 33 and actuated by a pneumatic orhydraulic cylinder (not shown), is positioned above the central aperturein axial alignment with the central aperture and the basket.

Cutting station 16 is positioned centrally below feeding station 12 andcomprises a vertical cutting tube 34 and a pair of opposed, horizontallydisposed cutting elements 36 impinging at right angles on the tube. Tube34 is axially aligned with spring basket 30 and plunger 32 and has anupper cutting edge 38. Cutting elements 36 are each disposed beneath ashield 42, and axially aligned with an aperture 44 in tube 34. A fluidconduit outlet 46 projects through each shield 42.

Cutting blade assembly 36, seen more particularly in FIG. 3, consists ofa cruciform array of knives 48 mounted on the end of a shaft 50 andcircumscribed by a cylindrical sleeve 52 fixed to the knives. Thecutting edges 54 of knives 48 are curved inwardly to form ahemispherical recess at one end of sleeve 52.

Collecting station 18, located below tube 34, comprises a horizontalhelical feeder shaft 56. A sloping deflector plate 58 is positionedbetween the bottom of tube 34 and feeder shaft 56.

Hopper assembly 14, shown in FIG. 9, comprises an endless conveyer 60,an inlet trough 62 and an inclined, rotatable loading drum 64. Thelower, outlet end 66 of drum 64 has a ring of apertures 68 with aloading scoop 70 mounted on the inner face of the lower end of the drumadjacent each aperture. Magnetic proximity sensors 72 and 74 are mountedon a frame 76 on inlet trough 62 to correlate with a circumferential rowof magnetic flanges 78 mounted on drum 64 adjacent inlet end 80 of thedrum. A fixed circular restraining bar 82 is located adjacent drum 64 tobar egress of potatoes in all apertures 68 except the uppermost aperturewhich registers with inlet aperture 23 of feeding station 12. Drum 64 isdriven by a belt 84 from a motor 86.

In the operation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 9 potatoes 90 aretransported along conveyer 60 and fed into trough 62 to tumbledownwardly into inclined rotatable drum 64. As drum 64 rotates, eachscoop 70 carries an individual potato 90a upwardly until that aperture68 associated with the scoop registers with inlet 23 Whereupon thepotato falls onto feeder ramp 22 and, guided by guard rails 28, throughaperture 24 in platform 26 and into spring basket 30.

When potato 90a is positioned within spring basket 30, plunger 32 isactivated and travels downwardly, pushing the potato onto cutting edge38 of the vertical tube 34. As plunger 32 continues to move downwardly,a central cylindrical potato core 90b is produced by cutting edge 38 andthe core is pressed downwardly in tube 34 by the plunger until the coreis in horizontal alignment with apertures 44 and cutting elements 36.Peripheral potato scraps 92, which are cut away to form core 90b, fallinto a scrap bin (not shown).

When cylindrical core 90b comes into horizontal alignment with cuttingelements 36 the cutting elements are activated to approach thecylindrical core from opposite directions, as seen in FIG. 3 of thedrawings, at the same time rotating axially to cut a spherical product90c. Depending upon the configuration of the recess formed by thecutting edges 54 of knives 48, differently shaped products 90c may beformed, for example with reference to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, of the drawings,cutting elements 36 are shown which produce a cylindrical product 90d,an oblate product 90e and a toroidal product 90f respectively.

Once the shaped product is cut, cutting elements 36 are retracted totheir original positions, as seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings, and waterjets from conduits 46 eject product 90c from tube 34 and/or from eitherof cutting elements 36. The action of the water jets also flushessuperfluous debris 92 from tube 34.

The rotation of drum 64 controls the timed sequence of events. When thedrum moves to a position where a potato 90a passes from aperture 68 toinlet aperture 23 of feeding station 12, proximity sensor 74 isactivated by magnetic flange 78 and signals the actuation of plunger 32to push the potato into tube 34. Plunger 32 operates cyclically and whenit reaches the downward end of its travel in tube 34, i.e. when potatocore 90b is in alignment with cutting elements 36, it signals thecutting elements to operate and then retracts upwardly to its originalposition of rest. On the continued rotation of drum 64 magnetic flange78 activates proximity sensor 72 to signal the passage of water throughconduits 46, the length of flange 78 determining the length of time thefluid jets operate.

The second embodiment shown in FIG. 10 to 15 of the drawings consists ofa cutting apparatus 100 comprising an outer cylindrical cutting tube 102and a concentric inner cylindrical cutting tube 104 both fixed on acruciform brace 106 having flanges 107 extending radially from arotatable drive shaft 108. As seen in FIG. 11: (1) the lower rim 109 ofinner cutting tube 104 lies above the lower rim 110 of outer cuttingtube 102, i.e. the inner tube terminates within the outer tube; (2) thelower ends 112 of flanges 107 of brace 106 located between inner cuttingtube 104 and outer cutting tube 102 lie below the upper rim 113 of innercutting tube 104 and above the lower rim 110 of outer cutting tube 102;and (3) the lower ends 115 of flanges 107 of brace 106 located withininner cutting tube 104 terminate at lower rim 109 of inner cutting tube104. A fin 120 extends laterally from outer cutting element 102 with aleading cutting edge 122 lying in the same plane as the lower ends 112of flanges 107 of brace 106.

Outer cutting tube 102 carries a sleeve 124 holding a vertical shaft 126rotatable in the sleeve. An arcuate cutting spur 128 is fixed to thelower end of shaft 126 with its cutting edge following the curve ofouter cutting element 102. The upper portion of shaft 126 passes througha flange 130 fixed on shaft 108 and the shaft is angled above the flangeto form a crank arm 132. The upper end of crank arm 132 engages anarcuate slot 134 in a disc 136 which is mounted concentrically on driveshaft 108 and is freely rotatable on the drive shaft. A torsion spring138 is attached at one end to a bushing 139 on disc 136 and at the otherend to shaft 108. A disc brake 140 brackets the periphery of disc 136. Anozzle 148 (FIG. 15) of an air or water conduit (not shown) is locatedabove cutting tube 102 and 104.

A laterally movable holding unit 141 is positioned below cuttingapparatus 100 and consists of a platform 142 and a V-shaped bracket 144located above the platform and offset from the axis of drive shaft 108.A loop 146 of resilient material extends laterally from bracket 144 withthe centre of the loop lying in the axis of drive shaft 108.

The operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 10 to 15 is shown in FIGS. 13to 15. A potato 150 is placed on platform 142 within loop 146 which istightened to hold the potato against bracket 144, thereby positioningthe potato directly below cutting apparatus 100 as seen in FIG. 13.Drive shaft 108 is then rotated at considerable speed, say 2500 rpm, inthe direction of arrow 151 and cutting apparatus 100 is lowered ontopotato 150. As cutting apparatus 100 moves downwardly, spur 128 and thelower end 110 of outer cutting tube 102 bite into potato 150, cutting anannular cavity 152 in the potato to form a cylindrical plug 153, and atthe same time cutting tube 102 and lower ends 115 of flanges 107 cut acylindrical pocket 154 in plug 153 concentric with cavity 152. In thesame step wing 120 trims the upper part of outer portion 158 of thepotato and lower ends 112 of flanges 107 trim the annular portion of thepotato between cutting tubes 102 and 104, all as seen in FIG. 14. Onreaching a predetermined depth, disc brake 140 is actuated, against theaction of torsion spring 138, to slow the rotation of disc 136 whichpushes crank arm 132 against the end of slot 134 as seen in FIG. 10 and11 causing spur 128 to move inwardly across bottom 110 of outer cuttingtube 102, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 12. Slot 134, curvinginwardly, accommodates the radial component of movement of crank arm132. The inward movement of spur 128 severs that portion of the potatowithin the outer cutting element, forming an inner cup 156 and an outercup 158. On the completion of these steps cutting apparatus 100 israised, carrying cup 156 which rests on spur 128. Platform 142 is thenmoved laterally, with bracket 144, to dispose of outer cup 158 of potato150 for collection by suitable means not shown. Disc brake 140 is thendisengaged, allowing spring 138 to move spur 128 back to its position ofrest and allowing inner cup 156 to be forced out of cutting tubes 102and 104 by a jet of fluid (air and water in the form of a spray) fromnozzle 148, to drop onto a suitable collecting mechanism not shown. Ifdesired, a transverse nick in the lower ends of 109 and 110 of cuttingtubes 104 and 102 creates a burr which facilitates the separation of cup156 from apparatus 100. It will be appreciated that the walls of cuttingelements 102 and 104 are thin and do not require bevelled edges to cutthrough a vegetable product.

The third embodiment shown in FIGS. 16 to 21 of the drawings consists ofa stationary vertical cutting tube 200 having an upper cutting edge 202and a pair of opposed circular apertures 204 with a horizontal slot 206tangential to each aperture. A rotatable vertical plunger 208 is axiallyaligned with tube 200 and positioned above the tube. Fixed to the lowerend of plunger 208 is a head 210 having a pair of mutually perpendiculardepending flanges forming a cruciform knife 212 laterally dimensioned topass into tube 200. A tubular, horizontal cutting head 214 is associatedwith tube 200, and comprises a horizontal cutting tube 216 with anattached horizontal slide plate 218. One end of tube 216 is chamfered toprovide a sloped advance edge 220 sloping downwardly towards tube 200with one side 220a of the edge being sharp and the other side 220b beingrounded. Slide plate 218 is attached tangentially to cutting tube 216and projects forwardly towards tube 200 to terminate in a cutting edge222, the width of the plate being slightly less than the width of slots206 in tube 200. An air nozzle 224 is positioned adjacent cutting head214 and aperture 204a.

In the operation of the device of FIGS. 16 to 21 a potato 230 is placedcentrally on cutting edge 202 of tube 200, as seen in FIG. 16, usingfeeding station 12 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Plunger 208 is lowered tohave knife 212 bite into the top of the potato and continues to descend,as seen in FIG. 18, to have cutting edge 202 of tube 200 form a core230a from potato 230 which is pushed down within tube 200 to registerwith apertures 204. In the next step, seen in FIG. 19, cutting head 214is moved forward to have slide plate enter slots 206 and sever thebottom portion of potato 230 which drops through tube 200 as scrap 232.Plunger 208 is then caused to rotate and, as cutting head 214 continuesto move forwardly, cutting tube 216 enters aperture 204a which causescutting edge 220a to form a shaped product 230b from core 230a as theplug rotates, as seen in FIG. 20. As cutting head 214 moves forwardly ajet spray issues from nozzle 224 into tube 216 of the cutting head whichhas moved forwardly past the nozzle, which forces both debris 232 andshaped product 230b out of the tube through aperture 204b onto slideplate 218 and off the slide plate to be collected below the apparatus.In conjunction With the last step (FIG. 21) plunger 208 may be withdrawnfrom 200 (retracted) and any remaining potato scrap removed from knife212.

It will be appreciated that products of shapes other than spherical(parisiennes) may be produced by the embodiment of FIGS. 16 to 21.Different shapes can be achieved by varying the shape of thecross-section of cutting tube 216. Also the cutting efficiency ofcutting head 214 may be improved by varying the contour of cutting edge220.

The term "vegetable" used herein includes a fruit.

We claim:
 1. In an apparatus for producing a product of predeterminedshape from a vegetable:first means to cut a cylindrical core from thevegetable, said first cutting means comprising a tube having an annularcutting edge and a plunger actuable to urge the vegetable against thecutting edge of the tube whereby a cylindrical core of the vegetable isintroduced into the tube, the tube having a pair of opposed apertures inthe side thereof; and second means to cut said product of predeterminedshape from the core, said second cutting means comprising a pair ofoppositely disposed arms movable one into each of the apertures in thetube toward the longitudinal axis of the core, the arms each carrying aconfigured cutting element rotatably mounted thereon proximate the core.2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the cutting elements areeach configured cooperatively whereby the product cut from the core isof spherical shape.
 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which thecutting elements are each configured cooperatively whereby the productcut from the core is of cylindrical shape.
 4. An apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, in which the cutting elements are each configured cooperativelywhereby the product cut from the core is of oblate shape.
 5. Anapparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the cutting elements are eachconfigured cooperatively whereby the product cut from the core is oftoroidal shape.
 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including meansto discharge the shaped product from the second cutting means.
 7. Anapparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which the discharge means comprisesmeans for directing fluid over at least one of the cutting elements. 8.An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including means to feed vegetablesingly to the first cutting means.
 9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8in which the feeding means comprises a drum rotatable to discharge asingle vegetable on demand.
 10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 inwhich the tube is vertically disposed, and means located above the tubeto receive a vegetable and to locate the received vegetable centrallyabove the tube, and against the cutting edge thereof, the plunger beingalso located above the tube.
 11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 inwhich the means to receive and locate the vegetable centrally above thetube comprises a platform having an aperture concentric with the axis ofthe tube, and laterally expandable basket means below the concentricaperture.
 12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including collectingmeans below the second cutting means to receive the shaped product andto convey the shaped product therefrom.